1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a commercial use of an ink-jet print head, and more particularly to a manufacturing technique for forming arbitrary patterns with the aid of an ink-jet system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Substrates used in semiconductor processes or the like are formed from silicon and the like. Lithographic techniques and the like have been used in the past for manufacturing integrated circuits and the like from such silicon substrates.
A characteristic feature of the lithographic techniques is that a photosensitive material called resist is applied thinly to a silicon wafer, and an integrated circuit pattern produced by photolithography on a dry glass plate is transferred by being printed with the aid of light. Ions or the like are implanted into the transferred resist pattern, gradually forming wiring patterns or elements.
Because photolithography, resist application, exposure, development, and other steps are needed in order to be able to use the aforementioned lithographic techniques, fine patterns can only be produced at well-equipped semiconductor plants or the like. It is natural to expect, therefore, that the formation of fine patterns must involve complicated process control and high costs.
It should be noted that unlimited commercial demand exists for processes in which patterns on the order of micrometers (which do not quite reach the scale of VLSI or other such fine patterns) could be manufactured simply, inexpensively, and without the use of plants or other equipment.
The applicant already possesses technical expertise in the field of ink-jet systems in the form of technology for printing on paper. An ink-jet system uses an ink-jet print head for ink ejection. Such heads are configured in a way that allows the ink to be ejected from nozzles, and printing is performed by discharging the ink from the nozzles onto paper. Until now, ink-jet systems have primarily been used in printers for printing purposes.
An ink-jet print head can eject any fluid as long as this fluid has low viscosity. In addition, such an ink-jet print head has fine resolution (for example, 400 bpi). It is therefore believed that any pattern with a width on the order of micrometers could be formed if it were possible to eject commercially applicable fluids from the individual nozzles of an ink-jet print head. An ink-jet system does not require equipment such as plants.
It is, however, impossible to form patterns merely by configuring the system such that a fluid can be ejected from an ink-jet print head. This is because auxiliary treatments for fixing inks as patterns is needed in order to form patterns from such fluids. For example, chemical treatments for obtaining commercial materials from fluids, physical treatments for arranging pattern shapes, or physical-chemical treatments for accurately fixing pattern materials in pattern-forming regions are needed in order to fix patterns on substrates.
It is, however, impossible to realize the benefits offered by manufacturing substrates through the use of ink-jet systems in order to facilitate pattern formation because bulky manufacturing equipment is used in the treatment of such fluids.
In view of this, the inventors of the present application devised a technique whereby a pattern is subjected to the necessary treatments before and after ejection from an ink-jet print head, or the moment the ink is ejected during the formation of patterns with the aid of an ink-jet system.
Specifically, a first object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows patterns to be formed by enabling treatments to be performed before a fluid is ejected onto a substrate, and to provide a manufacturing apparatus therefor.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows patterns to be formed by enabling treatments to be performed after a fluid has been ejected onto a substrate, and to provide a manufacturing apparatus therefor.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows patterns to be formed by enabling treatments to be performed the moment a fluid is ejected onto a substrate, and to provide a manufacturing apparatus therefor.
The invention addressing the aforementioned first object resides in a pattern formation method for discharging a prescribed fluid onto a substrate from an ink-jet print head and forming an arbitrary pattern, and comprises a step for subjecting the aforementioned substrate to a specific treatment in advance before the aforementioned fluid is ejected, and a step for discharging the aforementioned fluid onto the aforementioned treated substrate from the aforementioned ink-jet print head.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cfluidxe2x80x9d refers to a medium that can be used not only for inks but also for other commercial applications, and that has a viscosity level that allows the fluid to be ejected from a nozzle. It is sufficient for the fluid to have a fluidity (viscosity) level that allows it to be ejected from a nozzle or the like; the fluid may be devoid of additives or may contain admixed solid matter. The ink-jet print head may belong to a system in which the fluid is ejected by the volume variations of a piezoelectric element, to a system in which the fluid is ejected as a result of the fact that vapors are rapidly formed by the application of heat, or to a system in which the fluid is ejected by electrostatic forces. The term xe2x80x9cspecific treatmentxe2x80x9d may refer to a chemical treatment, physical treatment, or physical-chemical treatment. These definitions are used in a similar manner below.
The invention addressing the aforementioned second object resides in a pattern formation method for discharging a prescribed fluid onto a substrate from an ink-jet print head and forming an arbitrary pattern, and comprises a step for discharging the prescribed fluid onto the substrate from the ink-jet print head, and a step for performing a specific treatment on the substrate onto which the fluid has been ejected.
The invention addressing the aforementioned third object resides in a pattern formation method for discharging a prescribed fluid onto a substrate from an ink-jet print head and forming an arbitrary pattern, and comprises a step for discharging the prescribed fluid from the ink-jet print head, and a step for performing a specific treatment on the droplets of the fluid thus ejected, before the fluid ejected from the ink-jet print head reaches the substrate.
The aforementioned treatment may, for example, be one that exerts chemical action on the fluid. The term xe2x80x9cchemical actionxe2x80x9d refers to precipitation, a chemical reaction, or other action affecting a substance. An example of such a treatment is one in which the solubility of a prescribed substance contained in the fluid is lowered, and the substance is caused to precipitate. This treatment may, for example, be performed by subjecting the substrate or the fluid to a hot-air blast, laser irradiation, lamp irradiation, reduced pressure, or ambient variations (temperature or mist). This treatment may also be one in which a substance that induces chemical reactions in the fluid is ejected onto the substrate. Furthermore, this treatment may be one in which energy is supplied to droplets, and the concentration of the fluid is raised. Moreover, this treatment may be one in which energy is supplied to the droplets, and the trajectory of the droplets is curved.
The aforementioned treatment may, for example, be one that exerts physical action on the fluid. The term xe2x80x9cphysical actionxe2x80x9d refers to a mechanical, electrochemical, or magnetochemical effect on the fluid. This treatment may, for example, be one that is designed to align the borders of the ejected fluid with the borders of a pattern-forming region. This treatment may also be one in which excess fluid is absorbed by an absorbent as a result of the movement of the absorbent along the pattern-forming region.
The aforementioned treatment may, for example, be one that exerts physical-chemical action on the fluid. The term xe2x80x9cphysical-chemical actionxe2x80x9d refers to an effect on the fluid behavior from both physical and chemical actions. This treatment may, for example, be one in which the area of the substrate around the pattern-forming region is surface-modified to eliminate any affinity for the fluid. This treatment may also be one in which the pattern-forming region on the substrate is surface-modified to achieve affinity for the fluid. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cno affinityxe2x80x9d refers to the property of having a comparatively large contact angle in relation to the fluid. The term xe2x80x9caffinityxe2x80x9d refers to a comparatively small contact angle in relation to the fluid. These expressions are contrasted with affinity in order to elucidate the behavior of films in relation to the fluid. This treatment is one in which the pattern-forming region on the substrate is surface-modified into an absorption layer for absorbing the fluid. This treatment may also be one in which banks for preventing the fluid from flowing out are formed around the pattern-forming region, and which further comprises a step for removing these banks following the formation of the pattern. Furthermore, this treatment may be one in which the same fluid is further ejected along a pattern region within which a fluid has already been ejected. Furthermore, this treatment may be one in which a substance that induces chemical reactions in the fluid is made to act on droplets. In addition, this treatment may also be one in which the attributes of the droplets are detected, and may further comprise a step for controlling the ejection of the droplets from the ink-jet print head on the basis of the droplet attributes thus detected.
The present invention, which resides in a substrate manufacturing apparatus for forming an arbitrary pattern on a substrate from a prescribed fluid, comprises an ink-jet print head configured to allow the fluid to be ejected onto the substrate; treatment means for performing a specific treatment on the substrate; drive means configured to allow the relative positions of the ink-jet print head, the treatment means, and the substrate to be varied; and control means for controlling the ejection of fluid from the ink-jet print head, the treatment performed by the treatment means, and the drive effected by the drive means. The control means is configured to allow the treatment by the treatment means to be performed prior to the ejection of fluid from the ink-jet print head.
In addition, the present invention, which resides in a substrate manufacturing apparatus for forming an arbitrary pattern on a substrate from a prescribed fluid, comprises an ink-jet print head configured to allow the fluid to be ejected onto the substrate; treatment means for performing a specific treatment on the substrate; drive means configured to allow the relative positions of the ink-jet print head, the treatment means, and the substrate to be varied; and control means for controlling the ejection of fluid from the ink-jet print head, the treatment performed by the treatment means, and the drive effected by the drive means. The control means is configured to allow the ejection of fluid from the ink-jet print head to be performed prior to the treatment carried out by the treatment means.
The present invention, which resides in a substrate manufacturing apparatus for forming an arbitrary pattern on a substrate from a prescribed fluid, comprises an ink-jet print head configured to allow the fluid to be ejected onto the substrate; treatment means for performing a specific treatment on the droplets of the fluid ejected from the ink-jet print head before these droplets reach the substrate; drive means configured to allow the relative positions of the ink-jet print head, the treatment means, and the substrate to be varied; and control means for controlling the ejection of fluid from the ink-jet print head, the treatment performed by the treatment means, and the drive effected by the drive means.
The aforementioned treatment means may, for example, be configured to allow chemical action to be exerted on the fluid.
In addition, the treatment means is configured to allow the solubility of a prescribed substance contained in the fluid to be lowered, and the substance to be precipitated.
Furthermore, the treatment means is configured to allow a substance that induces chemical reactions in the fluid to be ejected onto the substrate.
Moreover, the treatment means is configured to allow physical action to be exerted on the fluid.
In addition, the treatment means is configured to allow the borders of the ejected fluid to be aligned with the borders of a pattern-forming region.
Furthermore, the treatment means comprises an absorbent, and the control means allows excess fluid to be absorbed by the absorbent as a result of the relative movement of the absorbent along the pattern-forming region.
Moreover, the treatment means is configured to allow physical-chemical action to be exerted on the fluid.
In addition, the treatment means is configured to allow the area of the substrate around the pattern-forming region to be surface-modified to eliminate any affinity for the fluid. The term xe2x80x9cno affinityxe2x80x9d refers to the property of having a comparatively large contact angle in relation to the fluid. These expressions are contrasted with affinity in order to elucidate the behavior of films in relation to the fluid.
Furthermore, the treatment means is configured to allow the pattern-forming region on the substrate to be surface-modified to achieve affinity for the fluid. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9caffinityxe2x80x9d refers to a comparatively small contact angle in relation to the fluid.
Moreover, the treatment means is configured to allow the pattern-forming region on the substrate to be surface-modified into an absorption layer for absorbing the fluid.
In addition, the treatment means is configured to allow banks for preventing the fluid from flowing out to be formed around the pattern-forming region, and this manufacturing apparatus further comprises means for removing these banks following the formation of the pattern.
The present invention, which resides in a substrate manufacturing apparatus for forming an arbitrary pattern on a substrate from a prescribed fluid, comprises an ink-jet print head configured to allow the fluid to be ejected onto the substrate, drive means configured to allow the relative positions of the substrate and the ink-jet print head to be varied, and control means for controlling the ejection of fluid from the ink-jet print head and the drive effected by the drive means. In the control means, the same fluid is further ejected from the ink-jet print head along a pattern region within which a fluid has already been ejected.
The treatment means may, for example, be configured to allow energy to be supplied to droplets, and the concentration of this fluid to be raised.
In addition, the treatment means is configured to allow energy to be supplied to droplets, and the trajectory of the droplets to be curved.
Furthermore, the treatment means is configured to allow a substance that induces chemical reactions in the fluid to be fed to the droplets.
Moreover, the treatment means is configured to allow the attributes of the droplets to be detected, and the control means controls the ejection of the droplets from the ink-jet print head and the drive performed by the drive mean on the basis of the droplet attributes detected by the treatment means.